Spatula edge trimming apparatus

ABSTRACT

A spatula edge trimming apparatus for re-edging a spatula includes a base housing with the front side having a spatula receptacle slot extending through to the cavity. The bottom side has a drop aperture extending through to the cavity. The spatula receptacle slot is configured to receive a spatula. A cutter is coupled to the base housing within the cavity and is configured to cut an edge of the spatula. A drive is coupled to the top side of the base housing and is in operational communication with the cutter. A plurality of controls is coupled to the base housing and is in operational communication with the drive. A power source is coupled to the housing. The power source is in operational communication with, and provides power to, each of the drive and the plurality of controls.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR ASA TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention (2) Descriptionof Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and1.98

The disclosure and prior art relates to spatula sharpeners and moreparticularly pertains to a new spatula sharpener for re-edging aspatula.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a base housing having a front side separated from aback side, a left side separated from a right side, and a bottom sideseparated from a top side. The front side, the back side, the left side,the right side, the top side and the bottom side form a cavity. Thefront side has a spatula receptacle slot extending through to thecavity. The bottom side has a drop aperture extending through to thecavity. The spatula receptacle slot is configured to receive a spatula.A cutting means is coupled to the base housing within the cavity. Thecutting means is configured to cut an edge of the spatula. A drive meansis coupled to the top side of the base housing. The drive means is inoperational communication with the cutting means. A plurality ofcontrols is coupled to the base housing and is in operationalcommunication with the drive means. A power source is coupled to thehousing. The power source is in operational communication with, andprovides power to, each of the drive means and the plurality ofcontrols.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a spatula edge trimming apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosurealong line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosurealong line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through5B thereof, a new spatula sharpener embodying the principles andconcepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated bythe reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5B, the spatula edge trimmingapparatus 10 generally comprises a base housing 12 having a front side14 separated from a back side 16, a left side 18 separated from a rightside 20, and a bottom side 22 separated from a top side 24. The frontside 14, the back side 16, the left side 18, the right side 20, the topside 24 and the bottom side 22 form a cavity 26. The front side 14 has aspatula receptacle slot 28 extending through to the cavity 26. Thebottom side 22 has a drop aperture 30 extending through to the cavity26. The spatula receptacle slot 28 is configured to receive a spatula32. The top side 24 may have a front tier 34, middle tier 36, and a reartier 38. The middle tier 36 is elevated above each of the front tier 34and the rear tier 38. The front tier 34 and the rear tier 38 arecoplanar.

A pair of guide pins 40 is coupled to the base housing 12. The pair ofguide pins 40 extends through the middle tier 36 of the top side 24 ofthe base housing 12. Each of the pair of guide pins 40 may comprise apin head 42 and a shaft 44. The pin head 42 is coupled adjacent the topside 24 of the base housing 12 and the shaft 44 extends to the bottomside 22 of the base housing 12. A motor housing 46 is coupled to themiddle tier 36 of the top side 24 of the base housing 12 and extendsthrough into the cavity 26. A motor 48 is coupled within the motorhousing 46.

A pair of blades 50 is coupled to the pair of guide pins 40. The pair ofblades 50 comprises a base blade 52 coupled to the pair of guide pins 40adjacent the bottom side 22 of the base housing 12 and a cutting blade54 slidably coupled to the pair of guide pins 40 above the base blade52. An endless screw 56 is coupled to the motor 48 and is in operationalcommunication with the motor 48. The cutting blade 54 is coupled to theendless screw 56. The motor 48 rotates the endless screw 56 to move thecutting blade 54 up and down the pair of guide pins 40. The cuttingblade 54 may have a single tapered edge 55 or a pointed edge 57.

A plurality of feet 58 is coupled to the bottom side 22 of the basehousing 12 and is configured to raise the base housing 12 above asurface. A plurality of controls 60 is coupled to the top side 24 of thehousing 12 and extends through to the cavity 26. The plurality ofcontrols 60 is in operational communication with the motor 48. A powersource 62 is coupled to the housing 12 within the cavity 26. The powersource 62 is in operational communication with, and provides power to,each of the motor 48 and the plurality of controls 60.

The base housing 12 may be coupled within a kiosk machine to requirepayment to operate the plurality of controls 60.

In use, a spatula 32 is inserted in the spatula receptacle slot 28 andthe plurality of controls 60 is used to activate the motor 48. The motor48 rotates the endless screw 56 to move the cutting blade 54 down to cutoff an edge 33 of the spatula 32 between the cutting blade 54 and thebase blade 52. The trimmed edge 33 then falls through the drop aperture30 to be collected. The motor 48 then reverses the endless screw 56 tomove the cutting blade 54 back up and the spatula 32 is withdrawn andready for use.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless thecontext clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. A spatula edge trimming apparatus comprising: a base housinghaving a front side separated from a back side, a left side separatedfrom a right side, and a bottom side separated from a top side, thefront side, the back side, the left side, the right side, the top sideand the bottom side forming a cavity, the front side having a spatulareceptacle slot extending through to the cavity, the bottom side havinga drop aperture extending through to the cavity, the spatula receptacleslot being configured to receive a spatula; a cutting means coupled tothe base housing, the cutting means being coupled within the cavity, thecutting means being configured to cut an edge of the spatula; a drivemeans coupled to the base housing, the drive means being coupled to thetop side, the drive means being in operational communication with thecutting means; a plurality of controls coupled to the base housing, theplurality of controls being in operational communication with the drivemeans; and a power source coupled to the housing, the power source beingin operational communication with, and providing power to, each of thedrive means and the plurality of controls.
 2. The spatula edge trimmingapparatus of claim 1 further comprising the cutting means comprising: apair of guide pins coupled to the base housing, the pair of guide pinsbeing coupled within the cavity; and a pair of blades coupled to thepair of guide pins, the pair of blades comprising a base blade beingcoupled to the pair of guide pins adjacent the bottom side of the basehousing and a cutting blade being slidably coupled to the pair of guidepins above the base blade.
 3. The spatula edge trimming apparatus ofclaim 2 further comprising the drive means comprising: a motor housingcoupled to the base housing, the motor housing being coupled to the topside of the base housing and extending into the cavity; a motor coupledto the motor housing, the motor being coupled within the motor housing;and an endless screw coupled to the motor, the endless screw being inoperational communication with the motor, the cutting blade beingcoupled to the endless screw, the motor rotating the endless screw tomove the cutting blade up and down the pair of guide pins.
 4. Thespatula edge trimming apparatus of claim 2 further comprising the pairof guide pins extending through the top side of the base housing, eachof the pair of guide pins having a pin head and a shaft, the pin headbeing coupled adjacent the top side of the base housing and the shaftextending to the bottom side of the base housing.
 5. The spatula edgetrimming apparatus of claim 2 further comprising the pair of blades, thecutting blade being tapered.
 6. The spatula edge trimming apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising the top side having a front tier, middletier, and a rear tier, the middle tier being elevated above each of thefront tier and the rear tier, the front tier and the rear tier beingcoplanar.
 7. The spatula edge trimming apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising a plurality of feet coupled to the base housing, theplurality of feet being coupled to the bottom side of the base housing,the plurality of feet being configured to raise the base housing above asurface.
 8. A spatula edge trimming apparatus comprising: a base housinghaving a front side separated from a back side, a left side separatedfrom a right side, and a bottom side separated from a top side, thefront side, the back side, the left side, the right side, the top sideand the bottom side forming a cavity, the front side having a spatulareceptacle slot extending through to the cavity, the bottom side havinga drop aperture extending through to the cavity, the spatula receptacleslot being configured to receive a spatula, the top side having a fronttier, middle tier, and a rear tier, the middle tier being elevated aboveeach of the front tier and the rear tier, the front tier and the reartier being coplanar; a pair of guide pins coupled to the base housing,the pair of guide pins extending through the middle tier of the top sideof the base housing, each of the pair of guide pins having a pin headand a shaft, the pin head being coupled adjacent the top side of thebase housing and the shaft extending to the bottom side of the basehousing; a motor housing coupled to the base housing, the motor housingbeing coupled to the middle tier of the top side of the base housing andextending through into the cavity; a motor coupled to the motor housing,the motor being coupled within the motor housing; a pair of bladescoupled to the pair of guide pins, the pair of blades comprising a baseblade being coupled to the pair of guide pins adjacent the bottom sideof the base housing and a cutting blade being slidably coupled to thepair of guide pins above the base blade; an endless screw coupled to themotor, the endless screw being in operational communication with themotor, the cutting blade being coupled to the endless screw, the motorrotating the endless screw to move the cutting blade up and down thepair of guide pins; a plurality of feet, the plurality of feet beingcoupled to the bottom side of the base housing, the plurality of feetbeing configured to raise the base housing above a surface; a pluralityof controls coupled to the housing, the plurality of controls beingcoupled to the top side of the housing and extending through to thecavity, the plurality of controls being in operational communicationwith the motor; and a power source coupled to the housing, the powersource being coupled within the cavity, the power source being inoperational communication with, and providing power to, each of themotor and the plurality of controls.